Lamar Patterson was named ACC Player of the Week for the second time this season. It oddly feels like his performance is being taken for granted. We acknowledge he is playing really well. That this team would be in big trouble if he hadn’t raised his game — which is really impressive when you think about the steady improvement he has shown in the past three seasons. Each year, getting better. Improving facets of his game and his conditioning. And the improved maturity. And versatility.

“When he pulled himself out, I wanted to stay positive, but he’s never pulled himself out of a game, so I thought something was up,” Dixon said Sunday. “I didn’t want to think that way. When he got up, I felt better. But he went back in and then pulled himself out.”

Johnson is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday at UPMC South Side. Pitt (15-1, 3-0 ACC) will play at Georgia Tech (10-6, 1-2) at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
…
“We are thoroughly heartbroken for Durand,” Dixon said. “With his passion for the game and outstanding work ethic, Durand has contributed significantly to our success. He has made so much improvement in all facets of his game this year.

“I expect that same passion and work ethic to help Durand return at 100 percent next season.”

Rehab usually goes 9-12 months. As expected, this will also mean increased minutes for Chris Jones, Josh Newkirk and Jamel Artis. But that doesn’t happen without the versatility of players on this team. Starting with Lamar Patterson. If your best player is willing to move and do things at other spots, everyone else falls in line with what is happening.

“I think really the four freshmen will be the guys who will get the most opportunity to step in, and all of them have shown they are capable,” Dixon said. “I think Josh Newkirk is a guy who has proven he can handle more and so has Mike [Young] and Jamel [Artis], and we have already been doing some more with Chris Jones. So, I think we should be OK in terms of finding some players to step in.”

One player who clearly will be leaned on a little more — as if he doesn’t already carry enough of a load –is senior Lamar Patterson, who is coming off a huge week in which he averaged 23 points in wins against Maryland and Wake Forest and was named the ACC player of the week for the second time this season.

Dixon said Patterson has been a jack-of-all trades anyway and will continue to do so, and his ability to play three positions gives the coaches considerable flexibility in developing a new rotation.

A good reason for Patterson thriving, is the ball movement on the team. Patterson is exceptional at moving without the ball. He is okay at taking his man off the dribble, but that should not be his game with any regularity. There is a lot more ball movement this year.

Point guard James Robinson said it starts with the example set by Pitt’s top two scorers, Patterson and Talib Zanna.

“We have a team made up of all unselfish players,” Robinson said. “I think we’re all capable passers. That’s something we try to do: We make sure we share the ball, make sure we get an open shot.”

It’s no accident freshmen are following suit.

“Sharing the ball and everyone getting involved is fun,” said Patterson, whose 68 assists lead the team. “The game is fun, and you want to make sure all of your friends and teammates are involved.”

Freshman guard Josh Newkirk beat a defender off the dribble with a spin move and found Zanna open for a baseline dunk in the first half Saturday. Later, a tic-tac-toe play from Patterson to Newkirk led to a Chris Jones basket. Jamel Artis got the rebound on a 3-point miss and dished to Patterson for a layup.

“We recruit guys that already have that tool, that instinct and that ability,” Dixon said. “It might not show up high in rankings. If a guy jumps higher or dunks it better, he’d probably get ranked higher than the guy who passes and throws it to the open guy. … We look for guys like that.”

And part of the reason for the extra ball movement has nothing to do with selfish or “me first” players. It has to do with the team’s ability to handle the ball. Cam Wright is much improved in ball handling and Zanna has gotten better over his time at Pitt. Robinson and Newkirk are point guards, so, yeah. The other freshmen are all willing and able to handle the ball without fumbling it. Much more polish on their ball handling as freshmen than we have seen in years past.

Of course, all this good feelings and positivity go out the window if Pitt doesn’t take care of Georgia Tech on the road tonight. I’ll be putting up the open thread close to game time. It’s 9pm on ESPNU.

Nice to be ranked but it matters most at seasons end. Hopefully Pitt doesn’t overlook Tech. The Cuse game is huge for rankings, perception and quality wins that the selection committee looks for. Go Pitt.

22 is fine by me. As long as they don’t “Pitt the bed” against GT or MD in the next week or so we should be fine. They have a great opportunity to get some well deserved recognition if they can pull off a close game/win against ‘cuse and wins against Duke and UVA. I know Duke isn’t what it has been in years past but beating Duke is still beating Duke. My biggest worry on the schedule is the 3/1 @ND game. Late in the season, they always give us fits, etc.. Anyway, one day at a time.

I expect to see all of you at the MD game since its only a 3.5 hour drive from somewhere.

DJ was also synonymous with ball movement, he was able to mesh with the starters without missing a beat. Newkirk looks much better at this since the beginning of the season. Both Young and Artis seem to have to think for a second before they pass.

DJ’s passes were forceful and immediate, probably the most instinctive player on the team.

Good thing we have great freshman and Jones. It is their turn to take another step.

About the rankings,it’s about time! Congratulations to Lamar Patterson, it’s well deserved! Let’s reinforce the new ranking with a win at Georga Tech tonight. I’m also looking forward to the Syracuse game. They didn’t look unbeatable against a mediocre Boston College team last night. Despite the 10 spread at the end, BC gave them all they could handle for most of the game.

On the football side, I saw that Larry Johnson is going to Ohio State. Urban Meyer certainly didn’t waste any time picking him up. Check out the link below:

“Krzyzewski’s brother, William, died on Dec. 26. Since then, Duke has gone 4-2 and in general looked like a different team from the group that got to 9-2 just before Christmas. Krzyzewski said his brother’s death had affected him greatly. Affected the way he was running the program.

“I got knocked back right after Christmas. And I’ve been knocked back for a few weeks,” Krzyzewski told the media after Monday night’s win.”

I’ve alwasys liked Jay Bilas as an anouncer and commentator on the game. He does as nice a job as anyone in the business and has a lot appreciation for the little things in the game that don’t often get noticed.

“”We’ve been focused,” Dixon said. “I got their attention when I told them [Georgia Tech] beat Notre Dame, that was first thing I said to them after the game [Saturday]. This is a focused group, no question, we have eight guys who have a 3.0 [GPA] and no arrests, they are doing the right things.”

I do like the fact that they are doing well in the classroom. But why comment on their arrest records?

His freshman year, Patterson had some trouble in Lancaster. Other that that, this group seems to only get good ink.

I generally like Jay Bilas a lot. He’s really sharp and very fair in his commentary. However lately he has taken to overly pontificating on the rule changes, refereeing, and other big picture issues while he is doing a game. I find this really annoying. Al McGuire got into the habit of doing that late in his broadcast career as well. There is a time and a place to commentate on that stuff and that would be the pre-game show or in the studio…I dont’ have a Twitter account. Otherwise I would call him out on that.

Arrest crack was a shot at UNC. I think we are at great risk tonight after a devastating injury, going on the road, and having The Orange scheduled next. This is the kind of game we could get surprised and we need our seniors showing up ready to play. If we fall behind 17 tonight it might not be so easy to dig out of the hole.

I know there were lots of accusations and questions about the chemistry on the team the past two years. I thought this was an interesting/awesome statement from Patterson after the Wake game:

“We practice hard at playing good basketball,” said Patterson, whose six assists led the Panthers. “And sharing the ball and everybody getting the ball, it is fun. The game is fun and you want to play in games where all of your teammates and friends are getting looks, also.”

Recruiting in PA will likely be tougher with Franklin at PSU and Larry Johnson at OHio State. Go Panthers tonight! Glad to see a local kid from Lancaster (Lamar Patterson) really come on this week.

Also, I wanted to let my fellow Panthers know that the advertisement on this page for the monthly sports auction is from Wheatland Auctions in Lancaster PA which is owned by my wife and I (She is also a Pitt Grad). We have tons of rare sports items for sale each month and this next auction ends Saturday includes rare Babe Ruth autographs as well as lots of old sports cards, and items from the Steelers, Phillies, Penguins, Flyers, and even a LeSean McCoy signed cleat. Sorry for plugging the business, but thought some sports fans and fellow Pitt fans may find it fun.

I wouldn’t put too much weight into Cuse struggling at BC. It was a road game on a Monday against a bad team. BC had to be really up on the game. While Cuse had to be looking ahead to the Pitt game. Pitt-Cuse games will be the biggest ACC games of the year.

@Wardapalooza, BC is a bad team and the Orange seem to be making a habit of struggling to beat inferior teams. You might not put much weight into it but I think it is a factor in determining a teams strength.

As Chas writes in the last sentence of this thread, “Of course, all this good feelings and positivity go out the window if Pitt doesn’t take care of Georgia Tech on the road tonight”.

Just like the Pitt football team’s bowl game, THIS ONE is a MUST WIN. Essential for team spirit, needed to keep the momentum moving in the correct direct now that we’re ranked for the first time this season and really important regarding the national perception of who this team really is, considering that we are finally on the national radar and are done with all of the OOC pasties. Getting into the meat of the ACC, the hill gets much steeper from here.

There will be a host of Panther detractors (many who profess to be fans who post on here) that will be eagerly awaiting a loss or two over the next couple games so that they can bask in the glory of those Pitt defeats and relish in their typical “I told you so” attitudes that we’re routinely subjected to after Panther loses.

It is this team’s responsibility to win one for DJ tonight, if for no other reason than to lift his spirits after his unfortunate season ending injury. If this team is who I think they are, they will take care of business tonight.

The weekend’s game is not so essential to come away as the victors in. No disgrace in losing to the #2 club in the country, however a win tonight would be a very positive stepping stone to bigger and better things for the Panthers. They have had the Orange’s number many times in the pass and going into that game with this MUST WIN against the Yellow Jackets can only enhance their confidence going into the Syracuse game.

This is not a “must win” game. This is not college football. Too much of these basketball threads are colored by people bringing a college football mindset to a college hoops discussion. Let’s save that stuff for the parking lot in September.

…I think DJ loses the year. He already burned his redshirt and the team is more than a third into the season. Mike Cook got injured in late December several years ago and the school appealed but failed to get another year of eligibility for him.

Road games are always tough. Don’t think we can afford to come out flat like NC State. Need to come out like we did against Wake.

Like most teams, GT is much better at home than on the road, having lost to MD. 61-77, Vanderbilt 63-76 and being crushed by the Dookies, which was a close game a halftime but Duke outscored them by 21 pts in the 2nd half.

GT can rebound, 41rst in the country. However Wake was 23rd and we handled them alright. Stats right now are still skewed as they are non-con rent-a-win driven. So we’ll go with ACC game stats only, even though it’s a small sample better than non-con stats, imo. GT is only 10th in the ACC in rebounding. Rebounding margin they’re actually a negative 2, 12th in the conf. Turnover margin they are worst in the ACC at minus 4. PITT is 3rd at +3.

*GT is shooting 43% FG, PITT is at 50% FG. #1 in Conf.
** GT is shooting 30% from 3, PITT is at 44% #1 in conf.
*** GT is shooting 56% FT while Pitt is at 70%

Dish, Yes, it will get more difficult to recruit in eastern PA, Maryland and New Jersey, but to a large degree it has always been competive. Yes Pitt needs to step it up several notches in recruiting. Under Dave Wannstedt, Pitt did very well in New Jersey. We need to put a lot of time in NJ and Maryland because those states are close enough that the probability of getting some of those recruits is better. Larry Johnson would have been a good fit because he recruits those areas. He was a no-brainer for Urban Meyer, because Doug Vrabel was leaving and he had the open spot in his staff. Also Johnson can help them recruit in states where Ohio State does not typically get many players.

Folks…..gotta remember…NOT to get too worked up about any ranking in January. (that’s a NICE TO HAVE)…but no one remembers them!

The more important RANKINGS are in March.

We are going to lose (best case scenario) 3-4 conference games…. get used to it. Step away from the ledge. Fact the facts…it’s a tough league! Just make sure we lose ONLY that many! This is a “good” Pitt team…..not a GREAT team……

Lamar Patterson remains one of the best — and most versatile — players in the country without being noticed much for it. Patterson is an excellent passer and has a terrific shot fake. Pitt is one of the best teams in the country at taking care of the ball.

If I were JD, I would lay off the arrest coments, as these comments ave a way of biting you in the butt especially when you are dealing with 18-22 year olds and especially in an urban envrionment. Even ensuring that you are recruiting class kids (Sheard and Gunn come to mind, ther are no guarantees.

And then there is the ultimate … a university that has pounded their chests for decades as the bastien of integrity only to commit the heinous act ever done by a college.

@ wbb, you obviously haven’t been reading my extensive and lengthy posts why being ranked is important ALL THE TIME.

I believe you even said something about perceptions, while the perception is, if you’re not ranked, you’re not worthy (certainly not of having your highlites shown or game articles linked to front page of sport’s websites).

And for the upmteenth time, you’re not going to get a good seed and a good location, against a lesser opponent unless your in the Top 15 or so.

And you don’t go from being unranked to the Top 15 in 2 weeks at the end of the season.

@WBB, I can’t say that I agree with your low profile approach. UNC tried as hard as they could to get Hairston reinstated to play hoops. If the NCAA would have let them he would be starring for them now. He was caught with drugs and weapons driving without a license in a car rented by a felon. In the eleven years of Dixon’s watch Fields got in trouble in the strip district coming out of a club. If you know anything about the Pgh police and the strip district that could happen to anybody. Patterson supposedly left a restaurant without paying. He was dining with others at the time. He served a one game suspension. I don’t think we need the FBI to investigate this one. Trey Zeigler a coaches son got arrested for DUI parked in an SUV. We are talking about a group of young diverse athletes in an urban environment. Our program has attracted and graduated a great bunch of good kids for over a decade with a remarkable lack of problems. Dixon has earned the right to thump his chest about our players and I guarantee their are no Sanduskies in Jamie’s closet. He is a straight up guy, he does things right, and he plays in a conference where some don’t. He is beating them on the court too. If the truth hurts clean up your mess.

Emel, I can remember a handful of times when Pitt got a lower seed in comparison to their ranking … allegedly due to an easy non-con.

I still say that you can blame JD more than the poll voters. When you play nobody in the preseason, hardly anyone will see you .. and when you finally get the spotlight and lose in an ugly game, then this is what happens.

I still have the confidence that Pitt will continue its winning ways and be ranked in Top 15 .. but if they start to lose in a relatively weak league, then they don’t deserve a high ranking anyway.

I don’t think anyone should read so much into JD’s comments about not having players arrested. My two sons, thankfully, have been relatively successful in their young adulthood and people always tell me I should be proud. My typical reply is “They have been good boys, they’ve done well in school and I haven’t had to bail them out.” Just a typical smartass reply.

Dan, DJ played way too many games. Remember when Mike Cook hurt his knee it was in December and he was a percent or two too high and didn’t get a waiver. DJ is certainly over that. If Pitt had Mike Cook for that extra year then they win the title.

Yet we are the one they single out. That is an agenda. Cause they’re creating a false reality.
Just like when they continue to call us a defensive, plodding, team. We are leading the ACC in scoring. Yes more than their fav blueblood teams, Duke, UNC & Cuse.

I don’t think our tournament problems have been seed related. We could play the toughest schedule ever and they would find a way to shaft us. Our team isn’t built on one and done NBA type talent like the media adores. Our style is to out hustle the media darlings and out think the recruiting geniuses. It hasn’t worked out too well so far but I think eventually it will. If we finish 1 or 2 in the ACC we should be at worst a 4 seed. That will work for me.

There is an article now posted on ESPN that the University of Maryland is countersuing the ACC for $157MM. In the article, it is noted that part of Maryland’s claim is that officials from Wake Forest and Pitt tried to recruit “at least” two existing Big 10 members to the ACC.

There is an article now posted on ESPN that the University of Maryland is countersuing the ACC for $157MM. In the article, it is noted that part of Maryland’s claim is that officials from Wake Forest and Pitt tried to recruit “at least” two existing Big 10 members to the ACC.
Now THAT is interesting.

Comment by ECH 01.14.14 @ 1:35 pm

Sounds like this is some kind of ploy somebody ‘dreamed up’, to help Maryland lessen their $50 Million exit fee. Yea little Wake Forrest is out their recruiting Big 10 teams. lmao

Pitt has not played a big game in the eyes of these voters. We are on ESPN3 or ESPNU. It is all about being on CBS or ESPN main channels. I think they do not even like us as underdogs. Maybe they hope we sink into the ACC bottom. They want their pet big name teams and coaches to flourish.

We were labeled in the preseason with having the weakest schedule of any major conference team. Our schedule earned us that label. That is history now because we are chewing up the conference in style and we pretty much brutalized the non/con. Nobody likes a bully. To make matters worse the one chance we had to shine in NY ended in a boring humiliating loss to a team that had lost 2 games in a row to non ranked teams. Some of the disrespect we deserved. The fact is that this is a pretty darn good team anyway and we might be able to win the ACC in our 1st year in the conference. All we have to do is something this team seems good at. Beat the teams you are supposed to beat, and win at home.

It will be interesting tonight to see how Dixon changes the subbing now that Johnson is out.

I’m guessing that Artis will start substituting at the “3” tonight. He has a good outside shot. With Patterson graduating, he may play the “3” next year. So, my guess is that Dixon wlll try him at the “3” tonight.

see my post about 10 up. The facts say several of these highly ranked teams have weaker schedules than us(listed above) and several more are very close to ours including Syracuse’s, Gonzaga, Baylor and the great Indiana Hoosiers.

They distort facts to fit their agenda. Their agenda was to make PItt the ‘poster child’ of weak non-con schedules. And that agenda helped their 2nd agenda, keeping Pitt out of the rankings as long as humanly possibly.

Because the Kenpom’s, Sagarins, RPI, BPI, etc., etc., have had us ranked all along.

I know tournament seeding is potentially at stake…but I’d much rather be an under-the-radar team that smacks unsuspecting teams in the mouth than an overrated team that stumbles. Yes it would be nice to be getting the respect we deserve, but being the dark horse isn’t always all bad.

Preseason ours looked softer, we deserved the label, it wasn’t a distortion. The computers consider the margin of victory. Pollsters see what they want to see and often that is based on perception rather than reality and our preseason perception sucked. Our style also works against us. They don’t fancy a five year over achiever as much as some one and done phenom. Patterson didn’t get any conference preseason love and he might be the best player in the ACC. The 6th place vote was their version of a complement. Most of us were ok with the slight. They will think twice about picking us 6 again.

Polls are meant as qualitative “eye ball” rankings. They are inherently meant to reflect an “all things being equal scenario, who is better team” based on someone’s opinion. Getting all worked up about them in early January is lame. This isn’t college football where week to week is so desperate. As the season progresses and the NCAA seeding conversation starts, then the ranking start to take on more weight.

It was earlier reported that the B10 will help MD with the ACC exit fee and MD will get graduated B10 $$$ over time (not full member amount right away). MD still in red as games not sold out. MD cannot compete in B10 and attendance may increase buy not much. They will tire of getting beat up by PSU, OSU, etc.

Emel, we all do. But all we can do is win. Win baby win! Then everything else will take care of itself. I’m more bummed out about losing Durand Johnson for the season.

On another note, I think Maryland trying to get out of their 50 million dollar exit fee is funny. They went to Big 10 for the money, against the wishes of their fans and alumni. Now they are sueing the ACC………..only in America.

@Emel, I love your passion for equality but sometimes it makes it more satisfying to win on a slanted table. I am very excited about our ACC chances off of that very scenario. Nobody mentioned in the preseason player awards, picked 6th,and warned about playing too aggressive defensively. Thus was the review of our 1st ACC preseason press conference.

I don’t think we get shafted by the national media at all. The basketball program is at a sustained level of respect and some amount of prestige. The fact that the weak OOC schedule was a story at all reflects Pitt’s newsworthiness.

It’s a free country. No one’s going to stop you from trying to express your own righteous indignation. But how about dialing down the multi-paragraph unibomber manifestos. I read this blog on my phone half the time. Pain in the ass to scroll through.

Tonight’s game will be a test of Pitt’s character. This group has worked hard to finally earn a ranking, but will the ranking motivate them or lull them into complacency? It’s a wedge game. Tech has looked good and very bad this year. It’s starting late. Is Pitt going to pull a Pitt, focused more on Saturday’s contest at ‘Cuse? (remember 2008-09 when we finally reached #1 but couldn’t hold it for more than a week?)

BTW, James Franklin is a real-deal recruiter. Pitt and State may only play four games (and it’s doubtful there will be more with the Big Ten going
to a nine game schedule)but there will be many recruiting battles. Anyone concerned?

Tony – we are NEVER going to recruit as well as Penn State. Even in Wannstadt’s heydey his classes looked at lot like this class coming in. 4 or 5 4-star guys, a lot of 3-star guys. Maybe we lose out on a couple of four-stars, but at the end of the day there are going to be recruits who gravitate to what Pitt has to offer and there are going to be recruits that gravitate to what PSU has to offer. That’s all there is to it.

@Tony: Yes, very concerned. People are acting like Penn State’s current shadow (albeit a significant one) will be around forever. It won’t be soon. And once the blemishes begin to heal and people aren’t concerned with the stigma, they’ll be back as a national power in a big way. At that point I do believe we’re in trouble.

That day is right around the corner, whether people can see it or not.

The stain on Penn St will never go away. Sanctions come and go but the memory of raped children lasts forever. Win ,lose it doesn’t matter, those that can overlook that to win football games will rot in hell. This is their legacy. Fxxx Penn St.

TonyinHouston, as I recall, in early 09 Pitt was ranked #1 for first time history but lost the very next game at Providence. A couple of weeks later, they were again ranked #1 but lost very next game at LVille.

Win lose it doesn’t matter they are the evolution of a corrupt program that allowed little boys to be raped. That is the Paterno legacy. I would just as soon not schedule them out of respect the abused.

Bill Obrien did a terrific job and he’s a good coach. Franklin may be a good recruiter, but doubt he’s a better coach. Paul Chryst just needs to build his program and everything else will take care of itself. When you win, more players want to be part of your team and it becomes easier to recruit. I think Chryst is a solid guy and Pitt needs stability. We just need to take care of business.

Sure they got their Cult following, who will fill the CowLot when Akron or Ohio U plays there.
(might have more to do with the lack of culture or things to do in Creepy Valley than anything else, cause it sure isn’t due to success on the field)

Isn’t it fun having a good basketball team? Win or lose tonight they are having a pretty good season. I’m a happy alum.

Emailed the editors of the local newspaper (The Bergen Record)asking them to give some love to the Pitt team. Hell, Chris Jones is from their back yard plus all the metro NY/NJ players on the team. Not a word again about Pitt in today’s issue.

Justinian, When Penn St. fails to score panther fans laugh and poke fun. When they laugh and poke fun it is so enjoyable they forget what time it is. When they forget what time it is they don’t get to work on time. When they don’t get to work on time the boss gets pissed. When the boss gets pissed he calls for mandatory overtime on Saturday. When the Pitt fans have to work mandatory overtime on Saturday they miss the win over the Orange. Don’t miss the win over the Orange just because Penn St can’t score any points.

Those folks in College Park Maryland are incompetent. What a weak argument. This lawsuit is going to be tied up in court for a very long time. Smart for the ACC to hold onto that 16 million pending outcome.

Looks like Maryland is throwing a Hail Mary (no pun intended) on that one.

What is interesting is the talk about Pitt (suspect Penn St) and Wake (suspect NW) approaching big ten schools. I’m sure it was a loose discussion at best if at all. Everyone knowmthatnboth Penn St and NW are the red headed step children in the Big Ten but they don’t have the testosterone to leave. Neither will ever be viewed as a legit in the history steep big ten dominated by OSU, U of M, M St, Indiana and now Nebraska.

Itmismapparent that the big ten may have made a mistake going after Maryland and Rutgers vs. Pitt and Cuse. The later two bring more to the table.

A few hours ago it was headed the other direction and now it’s back to where it started. Kind of like our offense when we had our previous seasons (prefer not to mention)that other quarterback. A lot of running around to get back where you started from.

If I were a Maryland alumnus, I would be calling for the the Athletic Director and the President’s heads. What nincompoops! First of all you don’t leave a strong established conference where all you traditional rivalrys are without popular sentiments from you alumni and fans. They deserve to lose their jobs. Their decisions were poorly thought out. Yes they get more money each year, but their athletic programs will not fare well in the Big Ten, they will be leaving all their traditional rivals, and they will have to pay a 50 million dollar exit Penalty.

Bingo Gents: PSU is forever tarnished and this average coach got a spotlight only because several traditional SEC powers had off years recruiting and playing. He knew when to split. Expect FL, TN, AK, even KY to be more competitive next year. He had 11 Sec win, 2 over teams with winning records. Vandy didn’t appear to win with superior talent, he beat programs that were having uncharacteristicly off years. He’ll beat the Indiana’s, not the big dogs. Enjoy the rude awakening.

Penn State and Indiana will make twice as much in the Big Ten. The CIC just adds more dollars to money from the Big Ten network.link to cic.net

Maryland is a lot like West Virginia – totally sold out for cash and a perpetual outlier in its new league, but potentially wealthy – if they don’t piss the money away. Love seeing WVU hoops team lose two straight to their new partners.

Franklin seems to be a lot like Todd Graham. The man can talk like a used car salesman. He best be careful how many promises he makes to Nitter groups. He won’t be entertaining just 30,000 people on Saturdays.

Media is not the only one to distort things to support their agenda. Meet Emel. A man who knows how to ignore facts, stats, coaches, paid analysts, former players, and anything or anybody that doesn’t support his narrative.

I’ve seen multiple tournament selection committee members and bracketology experts state that the committee considers things like rpi, strength of schedule, recent play (particularly conference tournament), and injuries as factors in seeding. I’ve yet to hear anybody proclaim rankings.

“The selection committee uses a number of factors to place teams on the S-curve, including record, strength of schedule, and the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). The RPI rating is often considered a significant factor in selecting and seeding the final few teams in the tournament field, though the selection committee stresses that the RPI is used merely as a guideline and not as an infallible indicator of a team’s worth.”

For example Pitt was considered a bubble team in 2008 because they struggled through the BE schedule primarily because of Levance Fields foot injury. Fields returned before the BE tourney but was clearly not the same. Sam Young had a monster BE tourney and Pitt won it. They ended up as a four seed and were erased in the second round by Michigan State. They didn’t deserve the four seed and I am nearly certain that they weren’t ranked going into the BE tournament.

Is it possible that Emel is stuck in the 60’s before all the stat sites, data collection, and cable? Perhaps.

Is it possible that Emel simply needs to have Pitt to be ranked because he needs to back a “winner” as Dr. Tom suggests that some on this site need to do? Perhaps.

Even if Emel is right about the importance of rankings, they surely don’t matter until March. Just win games and RPI, SOS, kenpom, sagarin, and rankings will take care of themselves.